Outdoor gaming apparatus



Apr. 17, 1923. 452,350

F. T. WAKEFIELD OUTDOOR GAMING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 15 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Km. 17, 1923, v 1,452,350

F. T. WAKEFIELD- OUTDOOR GAMING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 15 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Apr. 17, 1923.

UNITED STATES FRANK T. WAKEFIELD, OF PITTSBI TRGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

OUTDOOR GAMING APPARATUS.

v Application filed October 15, 1921.

7 '0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, FRANK T. WAKEFIELD, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvanla, have invented certain new and useful' Improvements in Outdoor Gaming Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in outdoor gaming apparatus and has particular reference to the provision of an improved arena with appliances whereby a fox chase or the like may be conducted in an orderly manner to furnish amusement to spectators as is somewhat extensively practiced at the present time with respect to horse racing.

It is well known that a considerable proportion of the sport-loving people are much interested in the running down of foxes by means of hounds or similar animal chasers, but in so far as I am at present aware, such sport has not been restricted to an enclosure or arena for the amusement of spectators not actively engaged in the sport. The primary object of the present invention therefore, is to provide an apparatus whereby the above sport maybe practiced in a successful manner for the amusement of a large audience without danger of interference or mishaps.

Another object of the invention is to provide a practical form of arena whereby the foxes and hounds or the like may be separately housed and any desired ones of the same liberated at will into the track or course.

Another object of the invention is to provide the track or course with gates at suitable intervals under control of judges or attendants for preventing injury to the foxes by the hounds should the same become likely at any time.

Still another object of the invention is to provide the track or course with suitable barriers whereby the hounds and foxes may be conveniently run into their respective stable and stalls after the finish of a particular chase.

Still another object of the invention is to construct the track or course as well as the enclosure for the spectators of high foraminous fencework so that interference of the spectators with the hounds or foxes or with the attendants will be prevented so that the sport may be carried out in an orderly man- Serial No. 507,893.

ner without materially obstructing the vision of the spectators.

\Vith the above general objects in view and others that Will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the present invention consists in the novel form, combination and arrangement of parts herematter more fully described and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which like characters of reference indicate correspondingparts throughout the several views.

In the drawings,

Figure l is a somewhat diagrammatic plan view partly in horizontal section illustrating a gaming apparatus constructed in accordance with the present invention,

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmenta sectional view taken upon line IIII 0 Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 taken upon line III-J11 of Figure 1,

Figure 4 is a fragmentary side elevational view of one form of gate operating mechanism which may be employed at intervals about the track or course showing the gate in vertical closed position and illustrating diagrammatically the electric circuit for the solenoid thereof, and

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4 with the gate in lowered open position.

Referring more in detail to the several views, the present invention contemplates the provision of a track or course 5 on an open stretch of ground by constructing uniformly spaced parallel fences 6 and 7 preferably of high wire with as large spaces between the wires of the same as is practical considering the necessity of preventing the foxes and hounds from leaving said track or course, the fences 7 being of such general form in plan as to provide the track 5 in a somewhat elongated form so that vision of the foxes and hounds may be had at all times by the spectators positioned at one of the longer sides of said track or course.

Within the track or course 5, or between the fences 6 and 7 and at suitable spaced intervals around said track or course, are disposed a plurality of gates 8 which may be opened and closed at will separately, a booth inga suitable core 11 which latter in the present organization is shown as pivotally connected as at 12 by means of a link 13 to a. lever 14- which is fulcrumed as at 15 upon a suitable bracket or other bearing 16 which may be appropriately attached to a fixed support mounted upon the ground Within the track 5 near the inner fence 6. The lever 14 projects from its pivot 15 and is bifur cated at its end as at 14' to receive a pin 17 or other suitable connecting element, which, as here shown, is mounted upon a bracket 18 attached to the face of the gate 8. The end of the link 13 is connected at the pivot 13' to the lever 14 intermediate the ends thereof between the pivot 15 and the bifurcated end 1 1. As shown, the gates 8 are preferably constructed of spaced parallel vertical and horizontal slats so that the hounds upon one side of each gate may see and scent the foxes upon the other side thereof, and the gates 8 are also pivoted at their lower ends upon horizontal axes as at 19 for vertical swinging movement. the construction being such that the gates normally lower to a horizontal position upon the ground by gravity as shown in Figure 5 and are caused to be raised to a closed vertical position as shown in Figures 1, 3, and 4 by means of the solenoid operating mechanism inst described. Each gate and its operating mechanism is provided with controlling means located in the adjacent booth 9 consisting in wires 20 extending into said booth from the electromagnet to a battery 21, or other source of electric current, and a manually operable circuit closer or switch 22. B 1 mounting the gates'in this manner, all animals are given an equal start in the chase, as contrasted with a side swinging gate which would permit several animals to pass the gate in ad vance of others during the opening movement thereof, thus placing certain animals at a disadvantage.

For the purpose of controlling the are of the swinging link 13 and securing the mechanism efliciently in the application of the force derived from the excitation of the solenoid 10, I prefer to use a guide or guard of suitable type which in the present instance is shown as a forked lever 23 which is pivoted on the fulcrum 15 of the lever 14;, and in the slot of the fork the pin 12, connecting the solenoid rod to the link 13, is adapted to reciprocate during the operation of the device. The solenoid is shown as mounted in a bearing 10' which is provided upon one end of a suitable support 24 which may also carry the bracket 16. The form of gate raising or closing device thus described is merely illustrative of an operative means whereby the desired result may be accomplished and as the same does not specificall form any part of the lpresent invention, fiirther description of t 0 same is deemed unnecessary although it is noted that this mechanism and its operation are clearly described in the United States patentto Chmengedoht 1,269,545 patented June 11, 1918. It will be understood that any different form of mechanism may be employed which will perform the function desired and the invention is therefore not limited in this particular. It is also noted that the gate operating mechanisms may be suitably housed so as to protect the same against the ele ments or the like.

Disposed at one of the long sides of the track or course 5 is a relatively large enclosure 25 bounded by a relatively high fence 26 of wire mesh or the like, the enclosure being of sufficient size to accommodate a grand stand or the like as well as to provide ample standing room for the spectators andhaving an entrance as at 27 provided with the usual turnstiles 28 through which the spectators are adapted to pass from the ticket office booth 29 located outside of said enclosure 25.

At each end of the course or track 5, a stable or animal housing structure 30 is erected, one 'of said structures being designed for housing the foxes or the like and the other being designed for housing the hounds,

both of said structures being-provided with a hallway as at 31 along the side nearest the fence 7 and the other side being divided by partitions 32 into a number of stalls or compartments 33 having doors 34 for doorways leading into the hallway 31. At one end of each structure 30 is a doorway as at 35 communicating with the track or course by a passage 36 and it will thus be seen that any desired ones of the hounds and foxes may be readily liberated into the track as desired. In order to effectively run the foxes and hounds into their respective housing structures at the end of the chase, a movable barrier 37 is provided near each 'passageway 36 capable of being swung diagonally across the track as shown by full lines in Figure 1 and when the chase is going on, these barriers may be swung alongside the outer fence 7 out of the way so as to allow the foxes and hounds to travel along the track without interference and to prevent them from entering the passageways 36.

It sometimes will happen that one or more of the foxes or hounds will lag in the chase and if these lagging animals were permitted to stay in the track or course, the chase would not be successfully carried out in an orderly manner, and in order. to prevent the lagging animals from spoiling the sport, a number of mounted attendants as indicated at 38 may be stationed within the inner fence 6 near gates 39 provided in said inner fence whereby said attendants may quickly enter the track and remove the lagging animals when necessary. It will, of

be normally closed but will be of such type,

as are capable of being readily opened by the mounted attendants without dismounting. It will also be understood that various forms of rules may be instituted in the re lation of the sport and according to points scored, prizes may be given to the owners of the hounds makingthe best score in the chase.

In operation, the foxes will be housed in the stalls of one of the structures 30 while the hounds will be similarly confined in the stalls of the other housing structure and the attendants will take their places within the booths 9 and within the enclosure bounded by the inner fence 6 as well as near the barriers 37 and the like. The necessary doors are opened and the required ones of the hounds and foxes are then directed into the track 5 through the passageways 36 to the nearest gate 8, whereupon the barriers 37 are swung to their dotted line positions of Figure 1 and the gates 8 are permitted to lower from the position of Figure 4 to the position of Figure 5 by opening the switches 22 and thereby de-energizin the magnets 10. The hounds will immediately give chase to the foxes either from scent or sight and the chase will be prolonged to any previously set distance or-length of time, the hounds being prevented from injuring the foxes by raising of the gates 8 or any one of the same when any of the attendants should foresee this danger from his booth.

It will, of course be understood that the present apparatus may be used to great advantage in the training of dogs for the running or hunting of various animals and it is also noted that, if found desirable, breakers or hurdles may be placed upon the track at given intervals which may be constructed so as to permit a fox or the like to go thereunder while furnishing a hurdle for horses or hounds- Also, as sports of the present kind are usually engaged in in the cold season, any suitable means for furnishing heat artificlally may be provided with the spectators enclosure.

The manner of use of the barriers 37 having been previously explained as well as the requirement for the mounted attendants 38 and the gates 39, it is believed that the construction and operation will be readily understood from the foregoing description.

Minor changes may be made without departing from the spirit and-scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is:

1. In an outdoor gaming apparatus, a pair of spaced parallel endless fence constructions forming a track or chase course therebetween, said fences being of foraminous construction to permit viewing of a chase therethrough, a plurality of gates arranged at intervalsalong the course and each being independently operable, a barrier associated with the outer fence adjacent one of said gates and adapted to be swung across the track when opened defining a confined area on the track for animals prior to a chase, and an animal housing structure positioned outwardly of the outer fence in communication with a passageway to the track afforded by the opening of the barrier, said gates being horizontally hinged at their lower ends-whereby the lowering opening movement thereof gives an equal start to the animals in the chase.

2. In an outdoor gaming apparatus, a pair of spaced parallel endless fence constructions forming a track or chase course therebetween, said fences being of foraminous construction to permit viewing of a chase therethrough, a pluralityof gates arran ed at intervals along the course and each eing independently operable, a barrier associated with the outer fence adjacent one of said gates and adapted to be swung across the track when opened defining a confined area on the track for animals prior to a chase, and an animal housing structure positioned outwardly of the outer fence in communication with a passageway to the track afforded by the opening of the barrier, said gates being horizontally hinged at their lower ends whereby the lowering opening movement thereof gives an equal start to the animals in the chase, the animal housing structure being designed to permit anyone or group of animals being liberated into the confined area.

In testimon whereof I afiix my si nature.

RANK T. WAKEFI LD. 

